Driving means for motor vehicles



O. ZANCAN DRIVING MEANS FOR MOTOR VEHICLES 2 Sheets-Sheet l Original' Fild Feb. 28. 1925 o. zANcAN DRIVING MEANS FOR MOTOR VEHICLES Original Filed Feb. 28, 1925 2' Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Sept. 7, 1926. i

UNITED "STATES PATENT LoFFlfC112 .i

DTTAvIo' ZANCANyF'NEW YORK, N. Y.

DRIVING MEANSFOR Mo'ion VHICLS;

which 'the eluteh I.is separate frein the" The invent-ion `ur change speed gearing ther provides a driving 'nieclranisin capable of being applied to either a 'front ora rear Wheel drive. V A l n In lorder toV particularly describe andv arf certain the nature f 'iny invent-ion and the manner in which Vitk may be kcarried v`out, it will now be Vdescribed 1in ydetail With reifen ence tothe accompanying' drawings, showing 'one example' of said invention.

In saiddrawingsg-` Y d Figure ,l is atopplan Viewfof thev front end of an autoniobile chassis, slliciiiviig the driving mechanism applied as a Yfront Wheel drive. y

Figure 2 is a detail yiew of a clutch lever'. Figure 3f is a. sectional View, on. anen larged scale, 0i' the parts shown at the left of Figure 1, and

Figures 41, 5 and 6 'are detail' Viivs of' partsof the clutchniechanisrn.

Referring to VSaid drawings, nunierals 10' and 11 4designates1two kfront Wheel-'s of'a motor vehicle, vwhich Wheels' are hee `4shown as of the disk type eoniprifsingdwebs l'and center portions or 'hubs 1,5, turning on Ahollow axles 17 threughfrollerf 'bearings 19 of the Tiinken type.V The a'ziles y are cnnected to an aigle barer befan 21. by ineans of" knuckle joints 23', and the axles, Aand consequently the Wheels 10, 11- a-e turned around said knuckle-joints 23by ii'nea'ns of an ar1`n2`5 Von a collar" zittaehed'to one of sai-d axles 17, 'and a connecting har-2&1'v ati.-

tached to arms 30, 31011 said' collar 26 andy a correspondingcolllar' 33 onz't'he opposite a'Xle '17,t Thevsteering 25 ifsfnioued a "steering Wheel 35 on 2L'.steering post 36,

eden t'he'chassis trarne 40, and is cdnneted* to atfanshi'sson'bx 47 @nine ax'iebr 211 ,Contz til'nngeh'angei speed gearing l shown) by'a universally jointed yshaft 49.

(not

he transmission 59x47 has lateralshafts 51, 52,-or driving e'aeh the AWheels 10, 11.V These lateral 'shafts 51,"52 are yeach connected `to th'ev'wheels 1 0, "11 through clutches 55. The lclutches555 conve nientl'y coin Arise an annular frustr-conieal Kblock orV ruin 57 (Figures 3 andy L5)adapted,

to be ino'vedfinto and lout of yf'1'fi`ctionl.

engagement Withpart 590i the hub 15`havf ing a corresponding' friction'surfae. The d ruin or `annular block. 57 isguided oniand movable toward and 'from said part 5,9v of the hubv'lvl'on ailange' 607611A `said 15. The friction drum .or block 59' is'cnneted to' aA 'dished'diksk 6,3' (Figures 3' and 4') haying a` Central` stud l'lrojec'tiiig' into said hollow axle 17 and yhaving a shouldered portion A06 spliced theretqasby ineans of squared projections- '67, 68 fitting illk a square socletyiln a 'sleei'fe'69`,'a1id this sleerfe bear in the 4in si'de of hollow axle 17 'through fuller bearings 70; Thefadjal cent ends l7205i the laterallshaits 51, 52 (see shaft 51 Eigure 3) are ysuppjcirte'd in hal-l bearings 75,0111y the inside Ofsaidhollo. shat17 and the 'ends'fare,connected to the rito binding engagement with the'y fifi-ation sur ae 59,011 said Bub ,15 by Springs sont; tingfin so'lietszSl' in arms 82 on 'a spider 83 (Figures 3 and turning on said axle 17 through ball-bearings" projecting .into sockets 87, in said `friction druin's'o as to' turn said spider there th. -Said spider is held in` place loci; nuts 89 :andv acts als a; retainer for 'the Tmk'e'n 'reifer seti. f

Theostud, disk 63 and friction `dr'u1n` 55 carried thereby ,is moved out of frieti iai engagementfwith thesurtace' 590i sai Nub 15, aga-inst the pressured the' springs 80 by means of levers 90 (Figuree) pivoted theaxle `har yor heain 21 asindicated 91'y andi having forked bafrnis 'to floear olrsaid shouldered part' 66 of the stu-dv 64' preferably through a collar 94 and balls 95.

One or the other of the levers 90 are moved by cams 97, 9S on the connecting bar 28 bearing on rollers 99 on the ends of the levers 90 disengage one or other of the clutches 55 as the steering lever 25 is moved to turn the vehicle to one side or the other, as will be more fully explained later.

lVhen the drive is a front Wheel drive, as here shown, the shafts 51, each have universal joints 100, 101 therein, and a sliding joint 103 therein, thereby permitting said axles 17, in which are supported the ends 72 of said shafts, to turn.

In order to provide means for disconnecting the engine 45 from the Wheels, as when starting or stopping, each of the clutch levers 90 is connected to a cord or rope 105` as indicated at 106, which ropes are connected to rock-arms 107 on a rockshaft 190 operated by a treadle 111, 113 indicates pulleys over Which the ropes 105 are passed.

Opemtn--Nor1iially both clutch drums 55 associated With each of the Wheels 10, 11 are pressed into driving engagement with the hubs of said Wheels by the springs S0, so that when the vehicle is traveling along a straight piece of road, both Wheels 10, 11 are driven by the engine l5. When however, a turn is reached, and the steering Wheel is turned, the steering arm 25 connected to the axle of Wheel 10, moves the rod 28 connecting the arms 30, 31 on the axles of the two Wheels 10, 11, causing one or the other of the cams 97, 98 to contact with one or the other of the clutch levers 90 and thereby operate one of the clutches to disconnect one or other of the shafts 51, 52 from one or other of the Wheels 10, 1l. If the turn be to the right, the cam 9S Will contact with the clutch lever at the right hand side and disconnect the Wheel 11 from its drive-shaft 52, so that said Wheel 11 will not be caused to slip when running on an arc of less radius than the other Wheel 10. If the turn is to the left, the cam 97 Will operate the clutch lever 90 on the left hand side, thereby disconnecting the Wheel 10 from its drive shaft 51. The clutch levers 90 press on the shouldered part G6 on the stud (311 projecting Within the axles 17 and through the disks G3 move the friction drums 57 out of Contact with the friction surfaces 59 of the hubs 15, against the pressure of the springs 80, as heretofore eX- plained.

Both clutches'55 may be operated to disconnect the shafts 51, 52 from both Wheels 10, 11, b v operation of the front treadle 111, connected by the ropes 105 to the two lever arms 90, as heretofore explained.

The inventive ideas herein set forth may receive other embodiments than that herein specifically illustrated and described.

`What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. An automobile driving mechanism comprising a pair of Wheels, a driven shaft for each Wheel, a clutch and springs Within each Wheel adapted to connect it with its corresponding driven shaft, steering mechanism and means under the control of the steering mechanism for operating one or the other of said clutches to disconnect one or the other of said Wheels from its driven shaft, said clutch operating means comprising a rod movable by said steering mechanism, cams on said rod, and levers for operating said clutches adapted to be moved by said cams.

2. An automobile driving mechanism, comprising a pair of Wheels, a driven shaft for each wheel, a pivoted axle for each Wheel, a clutch and radially disposed .springs Within each Wheel adapted to connect it with its corresponding driven shaft, steering mechanism and means under the control of the steering mechanism for operating one or the other of said clutches to disconnect one or the other of said Wheels from its driven shaft, and means for operating both clutches simultaneously to disconnect both Wheels from said driving shaft.

3. rAn automobile driving mechanism comprising a pair of Wheels, a driven shaft for each Wheel, a pivoted axle for each Wheel, a joint in each shaft permitting turning of the wheel connected thereto, a clutch and a plurality of coil springs Within the hub of each Wheel adapted to connect it With its corresponding driven shaft, steering mechanism, and means under the control of the steering mechanism for operating one or the other of said clutches to disconnect one or the other of said Wheels from its driven shaft.

L1. An automobile driving mechanism comprising a pair of Wheels, a driven shaft for each Wheel, a clutch and a plurality of coil springs radially mounted Within the hub of each wheel adapted to connect it with its .corresponding driven shaft, said Clutches each having a driving partand a driven part, an axially movable part connected to said driving part and to a driven shaft, said driven part being connected to said Wheel, steering mechanism, means under the control of the steering mechanism for operating one or the other of said axially movable parts to disengage the driving clutch part from the driven clutch part on one Wheel or the other, and means for operating both clutches simultaneously to disconnect both Wheels from said driving shaft.

5. An automobile driving mechanism comprising a pair of Wheels, a driven shaft for each Wheel, a clutch and a plurality of coil springs radially mounted Within the hub of cach Wheel adapted to connect it- With its corresponding 'driven shaft, said clutches each having a driving part and adriven part, an axially movable part connected to said driving part and to a driven shaft, said driven part being connected to said wheel, steering mechanism,` and means under the control ofthe steering mechanism for operating one or the other of said axially movable parts to disengage the driving clutch part from the driven clutch part on one wheel or the other, said clutch operating means comprising an yoperating lever for the axially movable part connected to each driven shaft. i

6. An automobile driving mechanism comprising a pair of wheels, a pivoted axle for each wheel, a driven shaft for each wheel, a clutch between each wheel and each shaft, said clutches each having a driving part and a driven part, said shafts having portions extending into said axles and universal joints between said shaft portions carried by the pivoted axles and the driven shafts permitting turning of the former with said axles, an axially movable part connected to the portions of Said driven shaft on the pivoted axles and to the driving parts vof the clutches, the steering mechanism, and means under the control ofthe steering mechanism for operating one or the other of said axially movable parts to disengage the driving clutch part from the drive-n clutch part on one Wheel or the other. Y n

7, An automobile driving mechanism comprising a pair Of wheels, a pivoted axle for each wheel, a driven shaft for each wheel, a clutch between each wheel and each shaft, said clutches each having a driving part and a driven part, said shafts having portions extending into said axles, and joints between said shaft portions carried by the pivoted axles and the driven shafts permitting turning of the former with said axles, an axially movable part connected to the portions of said driven shafts on the pivoted axles and to the driving parts of the clutches, steering mechanism, and means under the control of the steering mechanism for operating one or the other of said axially movable,

parts to disengage the driving clutch part from the driven clutch part on one wheel or the other, said axially movable part comprising a stud extending into said axle and a disk on said stud connected to a driving part of a clutch.

8. An automobile driving mechanism comprising a pair of wheels, a pivoted axle for each wheel, a driven shaft for each wheel, a clutch between each wheel and each shaft, said clutches each having a driving part and a driven part, said shafts having portions extending into said axles, and joints between said shaft portions carried by the pivoted axles and the driven shafts permitting turning of the former with said axles, an axially movable part connected to the portions of said driven shafts on the pivoted axles and to the driving parts of the clutches, steering mechanism, and means under the control of the steering mechanism for operating one or the other of said axially movable'parts to disengage the driving clutch part from the driven clutch part on one wheel or the other, said steering means and clutch operating means comprising a steering arm on a wheel, a connecting rod connecting the pivoted axles of the two wheels, levers engagon said connecting rod for operating one or the other of said levers.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification this 21st `day of February 1923.

OTTAVIO ZANCAN.

ing said axially movable parts and meansr 

